Monday, March 02, 2009

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

My first experience with Mexican chicken tortilla soup was in college, during my dorm's Sunday dinners. It was the only meal the dining halls didn't serve, so we either went out to eat or someone cooked and we all chipped in $5. The proceeds went to charity and the meals were usually planned around a theme in order to explore a country's culture and cuisine.

One night, the professor, affiliated with my dorm, decided to make chicken tortilla soup. What? I thought tortillas were only eaten with salsa or as part of nachos. And avocado in a soup? So strange. But the crispy/creamy combo of tortillas and avocado won me over.

These days, cousin Q makes Mexican chicken tortilla soup frequently enough to satisfy my cravings. He usually adds in one or two chipotle peppers, and then hands me the rest of the can. I like the spice, so I take the leftover can and make another pot with all of the chipotle peppers. Obviously, adjust to your taste.

I've substituted regular corn with hominy, the large white corn kernels, with good results. I sometimes add sliced Mexican white squash or zucchini. Garbanzo beans work well too. Really, as long as I have chicken, tomatoes, chipotle peppers, tortillas, and avocado, I'm happy.

Dice onion. In a 5-quart pot, saute onion with a bit of olive oil until softened. Add two pieces of chicken and brown in the pot. Add about 3 quarts of water and 1 tsp salt, and turn the heat to high. When the water boils, skim the scum, turn the heat down to medium, and let simmer for about 45 minutes.

Yay! You've just made chicken broth.

Remove the chicken from the pot, shred the meat and add it back in. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of corn, and 1 can of chipotle pepper (or less if you can't tolerate the heat). Let simmer for about 15 minutes to let the flavors meld. Taste and adjust if necessary.

Meanwhile, thinly slice fresh tortillas and pan-fry or bake them. Or you can just use packaged tortilla chips. It's also a great way to use up broken small chips at the bottom of the bag.

There's a little whole-in-the-wall restaurant on Balboa Island (yes, there are wholes in the wall in the OC) that serves the best chicken tortilla soup. This looks JUST like it. I can't wait to try your recipe.

Thank you for stopping by. I try to respond in a timely manner, but am not always able to do so. If you're awaiting a response, check the post in which the comment is made or click the "Notify me" option.

If you're not a blogger and you'd like to leave a comment, you can do so using your Google/Gmail account.

I welcome questions, discussions, and feedback, but please be mindful that this is my home online. I reserve the right to delete any comment that is anonymous or unknown, rude, promotional, or has a link.